Today, nearly a third of the world's population does not have secure rights to the lands and forests they customarily claim. Secure indigenous and community land rights are often a pre-requisite for reducing deforestation and mitigating climate change; for enabling women's economic and social empowerment, and for building peaceful and democratic societies.

Demand for land and other natural resources in developing countries has increased in recent years, placing pressure on these resources, and fueling conflict over them. Rising violence linked to conflicting claims can be deadly for rural environmental defenders, and costly for investors and others whose reputations and financial health are placed at risk by such conflicts.

Losing property rights mean losing many other rights as citizens, including the means to clothe and feed your families. Insecure indigenous and community land rights thus undermine progress to reach the Global Goals for sustainable development.

This Development Talks will focus on how climate change, conflict and weak gender rights drive inequality, and how securing land and forest rights can be a solution. It will bring together an unusual mix of speakers from different countries and sectors to discuss both trends and practical solutions.

It will also present the International Land and Forest Tenure Facility, a unique new Stockholm-based institution whose positive impact is already being felt by communities inhabiting some of the world's most biodiverse and resource-rich landscapes.

The Development Talks will be followed in the afternoon by an in-depth, hands-on session: Securing Community Land and Resource Rights in Practice.

While the morning seminar will discuss why clear and secure land rights are important, this session will look at implementation, further exploring how to secure rights.

Recent experience from the International Land and Forest Tenure Facility pilot projects will be presented and provide a basis for the discussion. Participants are expected to come with some background knowledge/deep interest in community land rights.

The event is now full and registration has been closed.

Morning and afternoon sessions will be live streamed on this page.

Welcome!

Programme

09:00 Registration and coffee

09:30 Welcome and introductionModerator: Johan Kuylenstierna, SEI

9:35 Opening remarksCarin Jämtin, Director General, Sida

09:45 Key note speeches: Why secure land rights are important and the importance to involve different actors.Ulrika Modéer, State Secretary to the Minister for International Development Cooperation, SwedenDarren Walker, CEO, Ford Foundation

10:05 The effects on development : Why land and natural resource tenure affect so many aspects of development.Andy White, Coordinator, Rights and Resources Initiative

Securing Community Land and Resource Rights in Practice

12:00-13:00 Mingle and wrap lunch - for participants of the afternoon session only

13:00-13:10 Opening of session and introductionCecilia Sharp, Head of Department for International Organisations and Policy Support, Sida (to be confirmed) Session Moderator: Lasse Krantz, independent expert and researcher

13:10-13:20 The International Land and Forest Tenure Facilityopening in Stockholm – words of welcomeElisabeth Backteman, State Secretary and Deputy Minister to the Minister for Rural Affairs, Sweden

13:20-13:35 The International Land and Forest Tenure Facility - a new institution with high aspirationsJanis Alcorn, Interim Director of the Tenure Facility